Excellence in Music and Worship
Original Musical Compositions and Thoughts on Worship
This was an experiment in classically-chromatic lines in the context of a ‘new age’ jazz setting. It was recorded live at a ‘Night of Music’ at our church, as people gathered for some entertainment from our worship team in various genres.
String Quartet #4 is written in four movements. Throughout the work, I utilize the octatonic scale, highlighting its features in a pseudo-jazz framework. The first and fourth movements are thematically related. The second movement is lyrical, and the third movement was written to be a sort of scherzo.
The third movement was premiered at the Seal Bay Music Festival in Maine
Débandade, for string quartet, was written to commemorate the transfer of the Tom Lea painting, ‘Stampede’ to the Ellen Noel Art Museum in Odessa, Texas.
This is an arrangement, or, as I like to call an essay, using the theme of this famous hymn.
(Click here to purchase the string quartet score, the string orchestra score, or the MP3.)
This is a contemporary classical composition inspired by Ysaye's works for unaccompanied violin. Each section is based upon a verse from the Biblical chapter Psalm 67. The work has been premiered and performed by the composer in New York City, Czechoslovakia and Vienna.
Of the work, Hans Neidhardt, music director of the Volksbildungskreis in Vienna, Austria wrote:
“…his encore (Psalm 67), a composition of his own earned much applause by the audience.”
A Bit ‘O Jazz (for Chamber Ensemble)
This was my first attempt at ‘serious’ composition. I wrote it when I was around 13 years old for my Junior High School Orchestra. I wasn’t asked to write it, I just thought that if I had enough initiative to write for the group, the director would elect to perform it, or at least read it.
My naivete brought me some initial disappointment from the director of the ensemble. He had other plans for how he wanted to budget the rehearsal time for the group.
However, since I played in the Midland-Odessa Symphony at the time, the resident String Quartet and a couple other musicians told me they would be glad to read it for me after one of our rehearsals, which is the recording posted here.
This was my first journey into the world of composing and the rewarding feeling that comes from getting a group to play one’s work, along with the thrill of capturing the recording.
Hope you enjoy it!
Here is an arrangement of the well-known Christmas hymn. Hope you enjoy!
I enjoyed writing this arrangement/composition of the well-known Christmas carol. My family, along with Tim Tyler on viola are all involved, including Jonathan Hohstadt who did the video.
I hope you enjoy it.
I enjoyed singing this hymn growing up in church. I hope you like this new string quartet arrangement.
Here is a new string quartet arrangement of the famous hymn "Crown Him With Many Crowns". I hope you enjoy!
Here's a composition I wrote merging the melodies of two famous Christmas hymns, "O, Holy Night" and "Silent Night." Enjoy!